Lamborghini is sending a shock through its model range. The Italian supercar maker is set to add hybrid power to its three models – the Urus SUV and Huracan, and Aventador supercars – by 2024. This EV won’t be an electric version of one of its current models but an all-new fourth model in its line-up. This is all part of the company’s push to reduce the carbon emissions from its vehicles by 50 percent by 2025. Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann says the move to electrification is necessary. “Lamborghini’s electrification plan is a newly-plotted course, necessary in the context of a radically changing world, where we want to contribute by continuing to reduce environmental impact through concrete projects,” he says.
Lamborghini isn’t stopping at hybrid power; it has also committed to producing an all-new electric car during the second half of this decade. According to the UK publication Autocar, Winkelmann says the electric vehicle will likely be a two-door, four-seater, but the final form isn’t locked in yet. The new Lamborghini electric car could be built on the new PPE platform to underpin an extensive range of future Audis and Porsches. This platform is set up to hold large batteries and deliver ultra-fast charging and an expansive driving range. Lamborghini is part of the Volkswagen Group – which owns several prominent brands such as Audi and Porsche – and has been very active in producing electric cars in recent years.
Audi’s first model to be built on this platform will be the A6 e-Tron, shown in concept form earlier this year. Audi says it will have two powerful electric motors — one on each axle — giving it all-wheel drive. The motors produce 350kW and 800Nm. It can go from 0-100km/h in less than four seconds. Any Lamborghini is expected to have more punch than this. Winkelmann has assured fans the core attributes of a Lamborghini will remain and that hybrid and electric power play into its performance ethos. Electric engines add instant torque and ffaster-acceleratingpotential than petrol cars.
Lamborghini already has a very mild hybrid in the limited-run Sian. This supercar gets most of its 602kW of power from a V12 engine, complemented by a tiny electric motor. There are only 63 of them globally, and they cost more than $5m. He did say that weight would be an issue. Still, the brand has a history of producing vehicles with excellent power-to-weight ratios using uultra-lightweightmaterials such as carbon fiber. But petrolheads don’t need to lament the loss of a performance legend; the brand plans to launch two new V12-powered models this year.